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Phyllis Stoller: new Group Travel Associate Editor
The National Association of Baby Boomer Women has appointed Phyllis Stoller, of The Women’s Travel Group, its Group Travel Associate. Phyllis has a long history of organizing, often leading smart tours or women. Phyllis lived and worked overseas before returning to the US years ago. She made it her life’s mission to encourage women to travel, whether they were coming solo or not.
The full article is here and you will find out all kinds of biographical information you did not know about Phyllis Stoller.…
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5 Ways to be a Great US Tourist
Smile no matter what happens.
Learn a few words in other languages.
Bring something that shows where you live or photos of your family.
Wear something that says you support peace.
Be proud of our country but not a chauvinist.
The hardest task is to smile when you are tired, frustrated and in a rush. Losing your temper or raising your voice is about the worst demeanor you can offer. Force a smile and pretend you are in a presidential debate!…
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Checklist: Can Travel with a Friend?
At Ixtapan Spa last week, were talking about a screening process for traveling with a friend. A woman stated: I never travel with anyone before I spend a day with them shopping. What a terrific idea.
Shopping will determine decisiveness and focus. Anyone who covets something but cannot make up their mind to either buy or move on, can be a time waster. And what are you paying for the most on a tour? Time!
Shopping will tell you something about independence.…
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Frequent Flier Tickets are an Addiction
Every now and then we get a call like this: I want to go on the xxx trip with The Women’s Travel Group. I am trying to get a frequent flier ticket for this trip and will let you know when I get it. Then time moves on and we get this follow up call: I was not able to get the ticket, how much is the flight now? Answer: The trip is now full, sorry.
Way back when the frequent flier program was started, it felt like we were being given a prize: free airplane tickets?…
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Sicily+ Christmas markets: Reasons to Book Before July 1Early Bird Ends
Reason one is $200 more trip cost after July 1. The group is more than 2/3 full already.
Reason two is 3,000 years of history washed down with wine and fantastic food.
Reason three is the newest trendy tourist discovery: Palermo, our first stop.
Reason four is the ‘sights and sounds experience’ of walking in the mists of time during an ancient religious festival to the Basilica at night in Palermo. Sicily has history for Catholics, Jews, Muslims at a crossroads location.…
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Travel Innoculations: Why bother?
When you go to a travel medicine doctor, your wallet will be shocked at the cost. But what is smart and what is excess? We, non-medical people, are usually scared into getting every shot possible, but first, be aware of the following:
Inoculations should be based on the climate of your destination: dry season does not require some shots which are critical in the wet season.
Exactly where you are going versus large swathes of the country. For instance, India where our group is going in October: this is a huge country and what is needed for Delhi is not the same for the Himalayan plateau or the agrarian south.…
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Last Minute Summer Travel Specials
This Summer, why go where the crowds go, in the heat and humidity or Europe. Try this Hemisphere and fly south to Argentina and Peru, the two most visited countries in S. America. Avoiding crowds but still getting good weather has benefits beyond those you are aware of.
Flights are less crowded, seating easier and staff less harried. Going a bit off season means cheaper hotels and restaurants that do not need pre-booking. People in the destination have more time to talk with you in shops, and museums and in Argentina are more anxious to give you a deal with US Dollars.…
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Souvenirs Tips: Trash Them or Treasure Them
With our 22 years of women’s trips from The Women’s Travel Club and Group, all of us have loads of souvenirs brought back with love and memories from our travels. Some have true artistic value, some are true horrors. Here are some clean out/ hang up tips for your detritus.
Make piles of small cheap items, arrange by color/shape or materials. If you cannot see an evolving collection, toss.
Move flat items onto a sheet of paper and see if they might look better hanging on the wall.…
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Phyllis Stoller Honored: Top Influential Women in Group Travel
Phyllis Stoller, the founder of The Women’s Travel Group, was honored as one of the 14 most influential women in Group Travel by Group Travel Magazine. For those solo women travelers who do not know her, Phyllis founded The Women’s Travel Club and The Women’s Travel Group, both catering to women travelers and especially those solo on tours and cruises.
Phyllis’ site is www.thewomenstravelgroup.com and she will personally escort trips to Sicily and India this year. Yes, she will be coming solo!…
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Don't travel with The Times; Travel with Women who Read It
Why go on such overpriced trips as sold by prestigious newspapers, schools and museums? You might go to meet the speakers or be assured that you fellow travelers are informed. The NY Times Travel (probably operated by a generic tour operator) offers Tuscany at $5395 and Peru at $4395: hundreds of dollars more than The Women’s Travel Group does!
But if you look at the prices of these trips, here is what you get:
A possible one time encounter with the speaker. …
